Little Sisters Can Be Wise Too
by quisinart4
Summary: Mary Ann visits her brother in Hawaii to realize the McGarrett house has turned into a home. AU established Steve/Kono COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Little Sisters Can Be Wise Too

**Summary: **Mary Ann visits her brother in Hawaii to realize the McGarrett house has turned into a home.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note: **This was written for the amazing **Tiana-P** as a birthday present, but I thought I'd share it with you all as an end of the year holiday gift! It was inspired by Mary's visit this season and how much I love the McGarrett sibling relationship, and how much I love McKono too, obviously. There will be three parts. Please comment if you take the time to read, it's just the nice thing to do.

*** **Also, this story fits into the Steve/Kono universe in my head which goes AU before the s2 finale, meaning Malia remains alive and Doris remains dead. My head canon has Steve and Kono getting together a couple years down the line so technically this is "future" fic as to where I see the characters in the happy, little universe I escape to. It's fun here, I'll let you visit through my fics if you'd like.

(If you're still reading this, hiiii! Most people seem to skip over silly little things like the author's notes, but a few of you awesome reviewers don't, so thank you for reading and enjoy the piece!)

* * *

Steve couldn't sleep like this.

And he'd slept in war zones. Bombs going off, soldiers talking while on watch, the static of walkie-talkies and radios constantly humming, the panic of danger a mere second away _actual _war zones.

He'd also allowed Danny in the house as a roommate. Danny, who thought the sound of the ocean was considered torture and put on infomercials to get a good night's rest.

This is worse than both those times. Combined. And multiplied by fifteen.

Maybe because of the constant giggling. What are they laughing about this time? What could possibly be so funny at one o'clock in the morning on a Tuesday?

He throws his pillow aside and marches out of bed, down the hall to the bedroom that's usually vacant, but is currently occupied. He pushes open the door, startling the blonde and the brunette on the bed as they jump at the noise and peek at him from behind the glowing laptop screen.

"What are you guys watching?" he demands.

"Porn," Mary Ann answers.

"YouTube videos," Kono says at the same time, giving Mary a jab with her elbow. "She's lying."

"And you should knock, you know," Mary Ann reminds him haughtily. "I have a right to privacy when I'm visiting."

Steve ignores her. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Kono bites her bottom lip as she looks at him in apology. "Sorry. Did we wake you?" She turns to Mary Ann to explain. "It's a McGarret house rule. No TV after midnight."

"Good thing we're on a computer then," Mary Ann clarifies to her brother dramatically.

"Don't you have work tomorrow?" Steve asks Kono pointedly.

"Yes. And I will be on time and not hungover," she promises.

"You've been drinking too?" he asks in surprise. "It's Tuesday!"

Kono and Mary Ann exchange glances of confusion.

"I don't understand what he's trying to say," Mary Ann says to Kono, who only chuckles.

"Just keep it down in here. Some of us have a task force to run. And if you're late tomorrow," Steve directs this part to Kono, "I'm gonna make you type up all my paperwork from last month's cases."

"Is that some kind of kinky foreplay for you two?" Mary Ann asks looking from her brother to his girlfriend, then back again for an explanation.

"No," Kono laughs. "He's just a slow typer."

Steve closes the door on them before he can argue that it's not his fault the keys are so small and his fingers are so big and masculine. Kono doesn't buy that.

The laughter starts again before he makes it back to his bedroom.

* * *

"And then this girl used to totally stalk him in the halls and at the gym, and where was that place you used to work during high school, Steve?"

"This story really isn't as funny as you think it is, Mary," Steve tells her with a frown.

"Yes, it is," she tells him and snaps her fingers at him, waiting for an answer on demand. "Where did you work during high school again?"

"That car garage near the mall," he answers.

"So, that's how you got so good with cars," Kono says as she smiles at him from across the dinner table and Steve nods.

"Right! The auto repair shop! Totally forgot. So, she'd stalk him there, and then the owner said Steve had to tell her to stop parking across the street cause no one could see the garage sign from the road," Mary elaborates with a grin.

Kono laughs. "Then what happened?"

"I don't remember actually. What happened next?" Mary Ann says, turning to her brother to finish the story.

"Nothing," he says with an embarrassed shrug.

"Oh! I remember! You fumbled a pass in the football game and she dropped you to stalk some other guy. Sorry," Mary apologizes with a wince. "I forgot about that."

"I bet you did," Steve grumbles with a glare.

"Aw, it's okay." Kono hides her smile and gives him a kiss on the cheek as she gets up to put her empty plate in the sink. "I like your first stalker story. I remember mine. Some guy would show up to all my surf competitions around the East Coast and bring me flowers after I'd won. He had this scrapbook of me. I wonder whatever happened to him," Kono muses out loud.

"That's creepy," Steve says, shaking his head at her story as he joins her at the sink. "Mine was nowhere near that creepy."

"It does sound creepy, now that I think about it," Kono admits with a laugh. "But I was young. I thought it was sweet back then."

"So, what happened? Did you go out with him?" Mary asks from the table, watching the two of them begin to do the dishes; Kono washing, Steve drying, their hands working in unison without missing a beat.

"Nah, I was with Ben at the time," Kono says, and Steve tries not to visibly cringe at the name. "But I always thanked him before keeping the flowers."

"Ah, Ben. Hottie from your surf days. Was he like your first love or something?" Mary Ann asks curiously.

"Yeah, I guess he was," Kono says with a shrug.

"Like, your _first_ first love?" Mary questions again.

Kono glances at Steve from the corner of her eye before answering the other woman's question. "He was a lot of firsts, if you know what I mean," Kono adds over her shoulder to Mary Ann with a telling look.

"Oh. _Gotcha,_" is all Mary says with a knowing nod.

It takes Steve a minute to get it but when he does, he cringes at the information revealed and a flash of possessiveness runs through his veins at the same time. It has been years since that relationship, but he doesn't want to think of Kono with anyone else; he wants is to think of her as she is with him - right now, right here, night and day. He wants to think of her as only _his_.

"I did not need to know that," he says with a grimace, tossing aside the dishtowel.

Mary Ann looks at him in surprise. "Did not think you'd catch that. Guess having a girlfriend has made you better at girl talk."

Kono turns to him apologetically, her wet hand grabbing at the sleeve of his shirt as he moves away from the sink. "Sorry."

"Mary, take over," Steve orders. "I wanna watch the game."

* * *

Kono finds him on the couch ten minutes later and slides next to him, resting her chin on his shoulder until he has no choice but to look away from the TV screen and face her.

"What?" he grumbles.

"Sorry," she says softly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by answering her questions."

"I'm not uncomfortable," Steve says, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Right. Of course not. Cause you have nothing to be threatened by-"

"I'm not threatened," he interrupts quickly, biting back his anger and forcing himself to remain calm, reminding himself that there's no potential attack and the perimeter is clear.

"Good. You shouldn't be," she says, her hands coming to rest on his broad shoulders. "Cause the first time was completely awkward and horrible."

"Seriously, Kono?" Steve scowls at her words, clearly not amused by her deciding to share the details. "I don't wanna hear this."

"I mean, I was terrified and we were fumbling all over the place, and I don't even think he knew where to put what, and-"

"Kono, shut up," he says with a half-laugh as he kisses her, his lips firm as he tries to end the conversation.

She giggles as she quickly straddles him in one smooth move, her hands wrapping comfortably around his neck, her mouth pressing quick kisses against his in between her words. "And it was painful. Like, bad painful, not good sex painful, so that should make you feel a lot better-"

"I said shut up," Steve repeats as he places kisses down her neckline, stopping to tease the skin of her clavicle lightly with his teeth. She moans as she grabs at his shirt tightly, and he grins in success at the noise. His hands slide under her shirt, rough fingertips brushing the skin of her bare stomach and she shivers as she leans further into him, their hips aligning as if by some power outside their control. He releases a low groan as her hands slide down his chest, fingers dancing toward the waistband of his jeans, kissing him more passionately as she sighs dreamily against his mouth.

"Oh, god, ew!"

Kono breaks the kiss so fast at the interruption that he blinks in confusion. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand as if that'll make the taste of him, the hunger for him, disappear. But it doesn't work because she's still breathing fast, her lips swollen from the kissing, her eyes cloudy with arousal.

"What the hell, Mary?" Steve says with a groan, his hands keeping Kono in place on top of him to hide his physical reaction to their impromptu make out session. He takes deep breaths and tries to breathe away the sudden lust he'd been overcome in. With Kono, it happens quickly and it happens often.

"You? I'm the one who's scarred here," Mary Ann announces dramatically, shuddering at the sight of them. "That's gross. People sit on that couch."

"Can we help you with something?" he asks politely, now that she's effectively ruined the mood.

"Right. Kono, I found that dress I told you about," Mary says to the other woman, nodding her head back toward the stairs. "Come try it on."

"Why do you need to try on each other's clothes?" Steve asks in confusion, the disappointment clear on his face as Kono extricates herself from his lap, giving him a quick kiss as she pulls away. "You're like a foot shorter than her."

"So? I wanna see how she looks in it, duh," Mary explains sarcastically with an eyeroll.

Steve watches them go upstairs together and is left only with the television for company. He can hear them laughing again.

* * *

"When I said I wanted a ride home from the mall, I didn't mean I wanted to waste my time at the grocery store on the way," Mary complains.

"Well, you're staying with us until the weekend, and we need food. Kono's still at work so you're stuck with me," Steve tells her as he paces the aisles and grabs whatever labels look familiar from their now nearly empty refrigerator and pantry shelves.

"Okay, I do not eat that much. It's your girlfriend you should blame for your high grocery bills, not me. Where does she even put everything? She may be tall, but she's tiny."

"I have no idea," Steve answers honestly, because it's been almost a year now and he still hasn't figured it out. And he's the leader of Five-0. Talk about a real mystery.

"And why are you getting vegetables? She can't cook."

"But I can," Steve reminds her.

"So that's why she keeps you around," Mary concludes. "I knew it had to be something like that."

"Cute," Steve comments as he navigates them down the freezer aisle. "Grab one of those eclair boxes," he orders.

"'Three times the chocolate, only twice the calories,'" Mary reads from the label and looks at her brother with a chuckle. "Is this your new comfort food or something? Cause I am totally gonna send a picture of this to the Navy for your permanent record."

"Not me," Steve scoffs. "Kono loves them. And grab those colored popsicles for Grace when she visits. And..." He hands her a carton of strawberry banana ice cream from the freezer. "You always loved this flavor, right?"

Mary smiles at him radiantly as she takes the carton. "Yeah. Thanks."

Steve smiles back, clearing his throat against the emotion that overwhelms him and the urge to hug his baby sister in the middle of the frozen desserts aisle. He gets a hold of himself and pushes the cart towards the checkout counter. "Finish it before you go cause as far as I remember, that stuff tastes like crap."

"Hey! Don't insult strawberry banana!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Little Sisters Can Be Wise Too

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who commented on the first part. Happy holidays if you're celebrating this time of year, and happy day if you're not!

* * *

Danny whistles as the two women step into the living room.

"And where are you lovely ladies headed, may I ask?"

"Out," Mary answers with a grin.

Mary Ann's wearing a white dress, her long blonde hair curled down her back and her eye make-up dark enough to bring out her sparkling blue eyes. Kono, on the other hand, opted for a splash of color with her outfit. Her short, sky blue dress leaves most of her long legs bare and the halter top shows off the structure and skin of her collarbone, the dips and hollows of it attracting Steve's attention immediately.

"Out where?" Steve asks as he stares at them from the couch.

"Should we give you our GPS coordinates so you can track our every move?" Mary asks her brother sarcastically.

"Mary," Kono softly chides before she turns to Steve to elaborate. "I'm taking Mary Ann out to meet some friends before she leaves."

"Fine. Can I talk to you, please?" Steve says, nodding toward the kitchen for her to follow behind him.

"It's like I'm seven, and not even in the room," Mary complains to Danny as Kono leaves them alone to join Steve beyond the swinging door.

"Where are you really going?" Steve asks suspiciously, staring down at his girlfriend through narrowed eyes as he waits for an answer.

Kono laughs quietly as she shakes her head at him. "We really are going to meet some of my friends, I promise."

Steve stares at her for a second before nodding once he seems sure that this isn't some elaborate cover-up. "Just... be careful, okay?"

"Should I take my gun? I'm not sure where I'd put it," Kono teases, and his eyes give her a quick once-over, the blaze of blue scorching her skin as he follows the dip of her neckline.

"Don't let her do anything crazy. Or get too drunk. Or god forbid, bring anybody home," Steve says in a half-whisper.

Kono fights back a smile and nods as she reassuringly wraps her arms around his neck, giving him a short kiss. "Steve, we're going to be fine, okay? It's not a mission, it's just girls' night."

"That's even worse," he mutters but his body relaxes as soon as she touches him, the stress from his muscles loosening as her fingers rub the soft skin at the nape of his neck. "Is this the dress Mary told you to try on?" he asks, commenting on her outfit for the first time.

"Yes, it is. Do you like it?" She teasingly presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth, stepping closer to him as his fingers trace random patterns on the exposed skin of her shoulders.

"No, I hate it." He pulls her closer to him as he presses a kiss to that spot underneath her ear she loves, and his hands slide under the thin straps of her dress to touch bare skin. The feel of his warm breath against her ear, coupled with the touch of his warm fingertips makes her shiver.

"Liar," Kono says, sighing as she tilts her head up and finds his mouth again. "It's blue. You like blue."

"I like you," Steve murmurs against her mouth, feeling her lips curve into a smile at his words.

"I like you too," she admits, her hands slowly pushing him away even as she leans in for one more kiss. "I have to go."

"No, you don't," he argues, pulling her closer to him, his hands brushing the swells of her breasts as he peers down to meet her eyes. "Stay."

"I have to go," Kono repeats but she steps closer and wraps her arms around him again, moaning as his tongue flicks against her lips, the pressure and feel of it taking her by surprise. It still makes her heart race a little faster, even after all this time.

"Kono, are you coming?" Mary asks as she takes a step into the kitchen then quickly covers her eyes. "Oh, gross! Seriously?"

"Steve was just um, going over safety procedures with me for our night out," Kono says, flushing slightly as she steps out of his arms. She smiles at him over her shoulder, and takes his hand to head back into the living room where Danny's waiting for them all to reappear.

"Let me guess. They were making out again," Danny announces.

"_Yes._ I caught them in here on the couch the other night too," Mary Ann declares with a grimace.

"That's why I don't sit on the couch anymore," Danny explains, pointing at the offending object as if it's the furniture's fault that Steve and Kono can't keep their hands off each other. "They're like animals in mating season. Or horny teenagers in all the seasons."

"We'll be back," Kono says, giving Steve a quick kiss on the cheek and ignoring Danny altogether. "Call me if you need me, but Charlie said the tree sap needs to be tested longer so it'll probably be morning."

"Yeah, it'll be a while," Steve agrees with a nod. "Wait. He's not gonna be there, is he? Charlie?"

"No," Kono answers slowly in confusion as she makes her way to the front door. "Why?"

Danny snorts from his seat in the room and Steve throws him a dirty look.

"Nothing, nothing. Bye."

* * *

Steve finds himself staring off into space as he loads clothes into the dryer. The day had been a long one and even though they'd caught the son of a bitch at the end, two parents were dead and a little girl had no one to go home to that night. Knowing there will be justice under the legal system helps Steve sleep a little better, but it won't provide that poor girl any comfort as she misses her parents for the rest of her life.

"You have to actually press the buttons to make it start, you know."

He's startled out of his thoughts as Mary Ann comes up next to him from where she'd been tanning on the lanai.

"Right. Yeah."

"Where's Kono?" she asks.

"She's having dinner with her mom."

"You guys were gone all night it seemed," Mary comments. "Long day?"

"Yeah," Steve admits with a sigh. "Tough day."

She grew up the daughter of a cop so she knows what that means. The tired eyes, the haunted face, the weary set of his usually strong shoulders. She knows what it all means and she doesn't press for further details. "I'm sorry."

"It's part of the job."

"Hey." She pokes him lightly in the shoulder to get his attention. "I'm really proud of you. And I know Mom and Dad would be too."

Before he can say anything, she hugs him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and he lets himself hold her back, the little sister who used to tease him for being a geography nerd, and steal all the Milky Ways from his Halloween candy every year.

"Thanks, Mary," he says, blinking back the rush of emotions that envelop him. It hits him again how tiny she is, how she'll always be his baby sister no matter how old they get.

"But you really should shower. You stink."

* * *

"Oh my god, they're so cute," Mary exclaims as she watches Chin and Malia carry their boys out of the office, the little ones waving until they disappear down the glass hallway.

"They are," Danny agrees, smiling fondly as he watches the family go. "They love me. I'm Tyler's favorite."

"_I'm_ their favorite," Steve brags from his seat behind his desk. "I'm their godfather."

"Hey, Chin looked toward both of us, and wouldn't clarify. He said we can divide the responsibilities. I'm their godfather too!"

"He meant me."

"Only because you trump me in having a personal connection to him since before I even got to this island. That shouldn't count," Danny argues passionately.

"You can't even pronounce their Hawaiian middle names correctly, Danno," Steve taunts and even Mary laughs at that.

"Don't be a jackass, Steven, that's just mean. And I don't need to use their middle names because, God bless Chin and Malia, they gave them perfectly fine first names that I can pronounce. Plus, there's two of them! We can share," Danny suggests.

"I don't wanna share," Steve says with a smirk.

"That I believe. You want to keep all the guns and grenades for yourself. You probably never shared anything in your life. Back me up here, Mary," Danny says, waving for her to chime in with proof she has from a very special arsenal: Steve McGarrett, the early years.

"When are you and Kono gonna have kids?"

There's a second of silence before Steve sputters. "What? We're not- she's not-"

"They haven't really had the kids talk yet," Danny fills in for Mary Ann and his partner nods along. "They live day to day, their troubles floating away on the ocean breeze. Real rebels like that."

"But you want kids with her, right? I want to be an aunt," Mary says, her eyes still bright from the matching smiles the young Kelly twins had bestowed upon her.

"Oh, well, if it's what you want, I'll get right on it," Steve mutters sarcastically and even Danny chuckles at that.

"Is it what _you_ want?" Mary Ann questions her brother, and watches his eyes widen at her direct approach. He turns to Danny for help, as if his best friend holds the answer and can give it to him nicely packed and with a bow on top so he doesn't have to examine his feelings in a moment of deep introspection, but Danny only regards him quietly and waits for him to speak too.

"I don't know. I mean, maybe later. We're not even thinking about it right now," Steve says quietly, avoiding his sister's eyes as he plays with his keys

"Okay. That's true," Mary says. "You have plenty of time. Just don't die before then, got it?" she warns, and Steve smiles at her softly, equal parts humor and reassurance in response to her words. "But I'd totally be the godmother, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Steve says with a nod, his eyes dazed and his tone filled with awe as if he's only just now realizing the magnitude of what he's agreeing to, of what the future could hold for him, a future with _her._

"Okay, I'm back. Tyler didn't want me to leave, you should have seen him! He started crying as soon as I put him in his booster seat because he knew it meant they'd be driving away."

They look up as Kono enters the room, her eyes twinkling and her smile wide as she speaks about her nephew. She takes in the silence of the room as they all stare at her, then shakes her head in confusion when they say nothing in response.

"What? I thought we were gonna pick up Grace and go eat..."

"Right, we are. Let's go," Steve orders as he gets out of his seat and takes her by the hand, leading her out the door. He throws Mary Ann and Danny a furtive look over his shoulder regarding the conversation Kono's missed, accompanied by a quick nod to follow his lead.

"He'll be a great dad," Mary Ann says quietly as she watches her brother and his girlfriend walk down the hall, Steve's hand resting protectively on the small of her back, their bodies close to one another as Kono talks to him animatedly and he nods while he listens.

"Yeah, he will. They'll be great together," Danny agrees. "And we will be kickass godparents." They grin at each other widely, then startle when they hear Steve call their names from down the hall, his voice echoing in the empty control room as it reaches inside to his office they're still in. "Come on, let's eat."

* * *

"Doesn't it get boring?" Mary Ann asks.

"What? Being at the beach?" Kono asks in surprise as she turns on her beach towel to look at the blonde next to her. "Never."

Mary Ann was flying out Sunday morning and Kono had told her she couldn't leave the island without catching a few last rays of authentic Hawaiian sunshine. Steve was at HPD with Danny to consult with some officers about a case they were in the middle of, so Kono took Mary Ann to the beach for a few hours, or as long as they could enjoy themselves before she got called in to work.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, you're like a human mermaid," Mary Ann comments with an eyeroll. "But I meant being with my brother."

Kono stares at her for a moment, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at the question. "Is this you trying to get intel for him? Cause you suck at being subtle."

"What? No, of course not. I meant, generally. Being with somebody for so long," Mary Ann elaborates with a shrug. "It's not boring by now?"

"Your brother definitely keeps things interesting," Kono comments with a small smile.

"Okay, ew. I was not talking about in the bedroom, that's gross." Mary makes a face as she shakes her head in disgust.

Kono laughs. "I wasn't either, actually, but there too. I get what you're saying though. But I think we're not boring enough people to get bored."

"I guess," Mary says, not sounding convinced as she flips through a magazine idly.

Kono takes her sunglasses off as she looks at the other woman, struggling to explain something that's caught her by surprise over the course of her relationship with Steve. "I don't know how to explain it. It's like I don't notice how long it's been because there's nothing making me feel like I want out, you know?"

"Not really. It's not like I've ever had a real relationship," Mary admits with a sigh. "Guys are assholes. Well, besides my brother and a select few."

"It'll happen when it's meant to happen," Kono says encouragingly as she slips on her tank top. "I mean, do you really think I was ready for this thing with your brother to happen? No way."

"So, you two are good, right?" Mary asks casually, her magazine forgotten now that she has Kono's full attention.

"Yeah," Kono answers brightly before her tone turns suspicious again. "Why? Did he say we're _not_ good?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I just... I wanna make sure you'll be here when I visit again."

Kono smiles at the woman's comment as she understands what she's trying to ask. Mary is more like Steve than she will care to admit. In fact, they're both alike in a big way - both struggling to find a place and a home, people to call their own after their lives changed so young at the loss of their parents. Steve had found a resemblance of that in the Navy with his men, and with his SEAL team, the order and discipline keeping him focused.

But Mary? Mary was still searching for that stability. She doesn't mean if Kono will still be in Hawaii, or will still be at Five-0 the next time she comes to visit her brother. She wants to know if Kono will still be a part of the McGarrett home, if she'll still be in their lives like she has been over the course of Mary's visit, over the course of the last year. She wants a reassurance of stability because it's something she hasn't had in so long, something she's silently ached for even if she'll never admit it, like Steve never has. But Kono sees it in his eyes every time he smiles when she walks through the front door of their home, every time she comes home to _him_.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere," Kono replies just as casually and watches Mary smile and nod at the powerful meaning behind her words. "Want to flirt with Kamekona for free shave ice on the way home?"

"Hell yeah," Mary says with a grin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Little Sisters Can Be Wise Too

**Author's Note: **Happy New Year! Thanks to those of you who have taken the time to comment, it's really meant a lot to me over the past few months and encouraged me to continue sharing my stories here. There's just something about this couple (a couple that is not even remotely a couple on the show!) that's grabbed me and won't let go, but I'm glad other people seem to be struck by them and like my writings for them. Thank you. :) All the best to you for 2013!

Oh, and one line in this update is basically a line from the scene this season where Steve picks Mary up at the airport so that is the show's.

* * *

"You need help packing?"

Mary looks up from her phone as Steve knocks on the open door of her room, waiting for her to officially nod before entering. She smiles at his expression as he looks around the room at her clothes and shoes strewn everywhere, an open suitcase in the corner waiting to be filled.

"Nope."

"You sure?" he questions, obviously believing he needs to help her with the chaos and disorder of this task in a way only a man with his extensive training and combat skills could.

"I'm good. Flight attendant, remember? I've gotten good with the packing and unpacking."

His lips twitch slightly in a smile at that. "Right. Well, I can drop you off tomorrow so don't worry about a cab."

"Wow. Can't wait to get rid of me, huh?" she says wryly then watches his face panic.

"What? No. Mary, that's not-"

"I'm kidding, Steve. Sorry, I forget you're not good with the sarcasm."

"I'm getting better," he tells her with a smile and she smiles back because it's so nice to see him like this, happy and carefree, laughing at himself and knowing how far he's come, and being thankful for the progress.

"Yeah, you have. And I'll take the ride, of course. I'm sure you can't wait to get rid of me and have the house to yourself again," she jokes.

But Steve doesn't joke back. Instead, he comes to sit next to her on the bed, his hand resting on her shoulder as he gives it a comforting squeeze.

"Just because I'm living here doesn't mean it's not your house too. You always have a place here, always." His eyes are bright and shining with honesty as he stares at her, his words solemn and strong.

"Thanks," she says softly. "It's weird how even after everything, this place is still home, right?"

Steve chuckles at that. "Tell me about it. I traveled all over the world and still ended up back here."

"Am I interrupting quality brother-sister time here?"

They turn to see Kono leaning against the doorway, her phone pointed in their direction. "Smile," she orders and snaps a picture quickly when they do. "Aw, the McGarrett kids all grown up and getting along. This is going on the fridge."

"She's not so bad, I guess," Steve teases with a bright smile, ruffling Mary's hair as he gets up from the bed.

"Shut up," Mary says back.

* * *

"Do you believe in marriage?"

Steve snaps out of his thoughts at the question, and turns to Mary Ann in surprise. He turns down the radio from whatever station she'd put it on after making fun of how old he is and informing him this is the music the kids listen to these days.

"Do I believe in _marriage?_" he repeats, his eyes widening as he hears himself say the word out loud.

"That's what I asked. Well, do you?" She turns to him in her seat, waiting for an answer and Steve wonders why they couldn't have just driven to the airport with normal small talk and his list of safety instructions instead of something spontaneous like this coming up on the conversation docket.

"Why? Are you seeing someone? Oh god, don't tell me you got married. Mary, please tell me you did not-"

"Of course not. I'm asking about you, Steve. Stop freaking out and answer the question. Do you believe in it?"

Steve narrows his eyes at her in suspicion. "Did Kono ask you to ask this? Is she trying to get intel on me or something?"

"Danny's right when he says you two are so alike, it's creepy. She didn't ask me anything. I was just trying to start a meaningful conversation with the only relative I have left, but I guess I'll shut up then." Mary Ann turns the radio back up and looks out the window at the passing Oahu scenery as he speeds them to the airport.

They're not late, that's just how he drives.

He feels a pang of guilt as he turns the music down again, and she turns to look at him expectantly. The topic is an uncomfortable one for him to try and gather his feelings on, but it's equally as uncomfortable to talk about with the other blond in his life - Danny. He may as well see how it goes with his little sister.

"I guess I do. I mean, it does work out sometimes. Or it can blow up in your face," Steve adds with a shrug. "I guess chances of success vary on planning and execution."

"So, it's like a mission?" Mary Ann questions with a small smile.

"Right," Steve says, grateful she understands his approach. Of course he would have to think about it from a tactical perspective; he's trained to be a soldier first. "I don't know. I meet some people who have it even in my line of work. Chin and Malia, my old SEAL buddy, Sam, and, well," he throws a glance at his sister before he says the next words, "Mom and Dad..."

"Yeah," she says with a wistful smile. "It's so weird to be back at home and see you and Kono-"

"What? Why?"

"No, no, I mean, good weird! To see you two in the house and living together, it's like the house has people to love it again."

Steve says nothing but his eyes turn bright as he looks at his sister from across the console, nodding at what she says because he's felt the exact same way since Kono's moved in, felt even luckier since she decided to embrace the change in their relationship when their feelings had erupted to the surface.

"You should marry her," Mary declares simply.

He hears it out loud and he doesn't panic as expected; it's more like his heart needed to hear it from someone else so he can convince himself that the idea he's been battling for a few months now isn't so fucking stupid after all. Other people see it as a valid possibility too. He's not alone in wanting such a thing, in hoping for such a dream for himself. He's not alone in seeing the possibility of their future, bright and shining with promise ahead.

"You sure Kono didn't put you up to this?" Steve asks again, mostly as a distraction as he tries to gather his thoughts on how to handle the turn in conversation.

"I said no, seriously!" Mary rolls her eyes at his paranoia. "She's not even thinking about marriage."

"She's not? Why not?" Uncertainty hits him square in the chest at his sister's statement as he bombards her with questions for further details.

"No, no, not like that," Mary Ann backtracks quickly as she sees his expression. "I mean, she's not one of those girls who has a timeline or is going to pressure you about how long it's been. She's happy with things as they are."

"She is?" Steve can't help the proud smile that crosses his face when he hears the words from an inside source.

"Yes, and don't tell her I told you. I'm only telling you so you don't freak out and do something stupid to screw this up." Steve rolls his eyes at that and wonders how the two blondes in his life can sound so eerily similar when it comes to giving him relationship advice, mostly them worrying he'll fuck it up. "But seriously, you should marry her. She's awesome, she's hot, she understands your job cause she's crazy enough to do it too, she understands you and all your issues-"

"Thanks, Mary," Steve drawls out sarcastically.

"Plus, do you have any idea how many guys were hitting on her when we went out the other night?"

"I don't know. A lot?" Steve retorts as his hands tighten on the wheel. He knew he hated that dress Mary Ann picked out for her to wear. But then again, it's Kono; she could be in a potato sack and guys would flock to her when they spotted her smile.

"_A lot,_ a lot," Mary clarifies. "And they were super hot too. Like, hotter than you cause I don't even see your appeal in the first place, no offense, and younger too-"

"Seriously, Mary, is this supposed to a pep talk?"

"Just listen," she urges him once the sisterly insults are out of the way. "My point is, she didn't dance with any of them, or take their numbers-"

"She wouldn't do that," Steve replies confidently. Nearly a year into their relationship and he's had to put up with Kono getting hit on from all sorts of people in all sorts of places; the only thing that's stopped him from beating anybody up is the fact that Kono laughs it off and doesn't look twice. Unless they get handsy, of course. Then he has no choice but to intervene.

"I know that, she loves you. But she didn't even _look_ to see what options were out there and who she could possibly be with after being with you. She's ready for you to be _the one,"_ Mary concludes dramatically, using air quotes as an added bonus.

"Yeah?" Steve asks slowly, his gaze thoughtful as he looks at his sister. He doesn't know whether to buy her insight or not, but she is a woman, she spent plenty of time with Kono over her visit, and he does know the part about guys hitting on his girlfriend is true. Maybe he'll give his little sister some credit and say she has some of the McGarrett detective gene in her as well.

"Yeah. I guess you could say I did a little recon for you," Mary boasts proudly and Steve laughs at that as they exchange grins.

"Well, thanks."

"No sweat. I just want you to be happy. You're one of the good guys. She couldn't find anyone better on the island if she tried," Mary says with unwavering loyalty, her voice full of warm affection.

"Thanks, Mary." Steve puts the car in park as he pulls into the airport departures lot, smiling at her broadly as he accepts the compliment. "I'll think about it."

"Whatever, you're totally crazy about her too," Mary says, seeing through his bluff as they get out of the car and head towards the trunk to get her suitcase. Guess there's more detective in her than he had originally thought. "Just hurry up and propose before you do something stupid and she dumps you."

"I'll take your advice under careful consideration," he says with a grin as he grabs her bag, slinging an arm around her neck as they walk inside the busy airport.

"I'm good from here," Mary says as they approach the check-in line. Steve opens his mouth to argue so she says, "Really. I'm not planning on getting arrested again. I'll save that for the next time you pick me up."

"Very funny," Steve deadpans, but his mouth quirks up in a small smile as he looks at his baby sister, who's not such a baby anymore. He puts his hands in his pocket as he rocks back and forth on his feet, staring at her quietly for a moment in the hustle and bustle of the busy airport.

He's always hated goodbyes.

But this isn't a goodbye. He'll be seeing her again.

"Take care of yourself, okay? Be aware of your surroundings, and always know where the exits are located."

"Yeah, yeah, you already went over this at breakfast."

"Just... be safe, alright?" Steve bends down slightly to look into her eyes, their gazes solemn as they remember a past they can't truly forget, one that will bond them forever no matter how long it's been.

"I will. You stay safe too," Mary Ann tells him, choking back tears. "Thanks for having me." She takes a step toward him and Steve folds his arms around her, rubbing her back as he kisses her cheek before letting go after a few long moments.

"Thanks for coming. We'll see you in a few months for Thanksgiving, right?"

"Not sure about Thanksgiving, but I asked for Christmas off so that should be a done deal."

"Call me when you land."

"I'll be fine, Steve," Mary Ann says. "You'll probably be in the middle of a case or something."

"Mary, call me when you land," he repeats as he hands over her bag, the sentence sounding more like a direct order than a request the second time he says it. She rolls her eyes at his tone, but nods and smiles as she makes her way to the counter on her own, turning to wave at her big brother one last time.

* * *

"Hey, I'm gonna drop the photos of the second crime scene at the lab on my way home, okay?"

Steve looks up from the smart table as Kono walks across the room, calling out her destination before he stops her. "No, don't. I e-mailed them over while you were at the hotel with Chin," he tells her as he pauses the security footage on the screen in frustration. She walks over to join him since he's done her errand for her. "The bartender's being cocky. I think he's hiding something."

"Could be," Kono muses. "Came up clean though, so we're at a dead end until the lab results come in."

Steve sighs in defeat as he turns to look at her, but as their eyes meet, the tension in him eases immediately. She takes another step closer to him, and since they're alone in the office at this time of night, she lightly brushes her lips across his.

"Hi," she says with a smile.

"Hey," he replies, his voice low as he swallows back the desire to grab her and kiss her again, to _really_ kiss her, knowing they're still at work and it'll have to wait. "Mary landed safely."

"She texted me."

"She texted you before she called me?" Steve asks, his eyes narrowing.

"Of course not. She texted me to say she'd already called you. Wanna check the timestamp?" Kono teases as she bumps her shoulder into his playfully.

"No, I believe you. That doesn't matter, I just wanted her to call when she landed."

"Wanted her to, ordered her to," Kono says with a smile as her nimble fingers move across the plasma surface of the computer. "She said it was something along those lines."

Steve ignores that as he continues talking. "She said she'll visit for Christmas." He watches her face closely as he says it, but she does nothing except nod as she saves his work on the smart screen.

"I know. I reminded her to ask for time off since you were alone last year," Kono says as she finishes on the computer and hops onto the edge of the table, taking advantage of her new height to look down at him.

"You did?" Steve asks in surprise. "You don't mind?"

"Why would I mind, Steve? She's family." Kono says it so simply, as if there's no other way to describe it, as if that one word explains it all. And it does. It tells him everything he's always known about her - how she silently recognizes his guilt and his mission to become a better brother, how welcoming and warm she is, how she cared about his loneliness before they were together and he became alone no more, how she's made his home into _their _home, and his family into her family too.

"I have lots of other family now," Steve murmurs quietly as he slides closer to her, his hands on her denim-clad knees to step between her legs and look right into her chocolate brown eyes.

Workplace be damned. Sometimes she says the most fucking perfect things that he has to kiss her right then and there. Right now, this moment is one of those times.

"Yes, yes, you do," she says softly, biting back a smile as he looks into her eyes, his hands brushing away strands of her dark hair after a long day."You have... Kamekona."

"Mhmm," he says, leaning in to kiss her quickly, as teasingly as her words are but she doesn't give in so easily; she only continues talking, her voice light and the slightest bit breathless as he rubs up and down her outer legs through her jeans.

"You have Danny, and Grace. The few friends from HPD you haven't scared off yet. Chin, and Malia. Joe, and Max," Kono adds as she kisses him softly, her arms resting on his broad shoulders.

"Can't forget Max," Steve replies, kissing her again as his hands wrap around her, trapping her securely on the table. He buries his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent that is so uniquely her as she rubs her hands through his hair gently.

"And me." He feels her say the words as her throat moves against his cheek, her fingers soft as they rub at the stubble along his jaw. He lifts his head to look at her, watches her shrug shyly as she maintains eye contact. "I'm here."

"You're here," Steve repeats, and kisses her properly now that he's heard what he's been waiting for. His hands cup her head gently in contrast to his lips fusing against hers, pressing with familiar pressure until she moans, her hands wrapping around his neck to pull him closer. The sound echoes in the quiet of the control room and Steve grins as he pulls back from the kiss and watches her slowly blink open her eyes.

"I'm glad you're here," he says, his voice hushed as he whispers it like a secret and watches her eyes brighten at the sentiment. "It's gonna be a good Christmas."

Kono smiles at him, leaning down to kiss him again, her lips capturing his as she slides her fingers down to his shirt, slipping underneath to touch his warm skin. He tugs at her lower lip and she sighs in delight.

"I really hope you're not doing what I think you're doing."

Steve jumps back so quickly at the voice that she blinks in surprise. He tries to take a step back and untangle himself from the position they're in, but she only wraps her arms and legs around him tighter, not letting him move. He clears his throat before addressing Chin who's stepped out of his office and caught the two of them on his way out the door. "We were just finishing up with the security footage."

"Right," Chin says, his tone clear that he doesn't believe it.

"Then we started making out," Kono adds, smiling innocently as Steve glares at her.

"That's what I thought," Chin comments, a smile hidden in his tone as he looks at them fondly, mixed with the usual exasperation of stumbling upon them making out like a couple of teenagers in an office they think is deserted. "I'm going to leave now pretending I didn't see anything. Good night."

"Night, Chin," Kono calls after her cousin before looking back at Steve. "Ready to go home yet?"

Steve pulls her down from the table, his hand wrapping around hers easily as their fingers entwine without a second's pause. "Ready."

* * *

Two days later, he's driving to a crime scene with Danny who's talking about how Grace is stressing over taking the SATs again, and how the system is unfair to be putting so much pressure on children so young, and it's as if the weight of the entire future rests on their performance from one standardized exam, and it's not like a few numbers can predict anything about someone's future lifetime success and-

"Hey, Danny. How'd you propose to Rachel?"

Danny stops talking mid-sentence, his eyes widening as a smile of pure joy spreads across his face. He's nearly laughing as he twists in his seat to look at Steve. "No fucking way!"

"What?" Steve asks innocently as he struggles to keep his composure and keep from grinning like an idiot as well.

I mean, it's not like she's said yes. _Yet_.

She'll say yes, right?

But he's sure Danny will catch everything he tries to hide so he gives in and smiles anyway. After all, the guy is a pretty good detective, which is why Steve hired him in the first place.

Hell, even his little sister had picked up on it. But little sisters can be wise too.

* * *

_the end ~_


End file.
